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Tag Archives: Santa

So, I think I’m going to try and do short reviews of every movie I watch. Nothing terribly long, just a few sentences, and a flat 1 thru 5 rating.

5 = Loved It

4 = Liked It Lots

3 = Good, But Probably Won’t Get A Rewatch

2 = Not Too Good

1 = Turrible

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale

To start things off though, I’m going to do a slightly longer review. I saw a movie this week that I would give a 6 out of 5 if I could. It’s genius and awesome. That movie is Rare Exports.

You already want to watch it, don't you?

Here’s the elevator pitch:

Archaeologists in Finland dig up the grave of the original Santa Claus. Something evil escapes and it’s up to a little boy, his father, and his father’s friends to contain it.

This movie is not only suspenseful, funny, and incredibly innovative, it’s also beautiful. The scope of some of the shots, set against the Finnish mountains are absolutely amazing. It’s also, in spite of being a dark film that takes place mostly at night, incredibly vibrant and colorful.

Seriously. It's the dead of night, but look how vibrant and crisp that is.

That depth of field is astonishing.

Rare Exports is incredibly well crafted, and the story takes several twists and turns that will leave you amazed. You seriously need to check out this flick.

5 out of 5

The Thing (2011)

Jeremy, Aaron, and I went to the theater for the first time in a long time to see this one. I must say, this is probably the best prequel I’ve ever seen. I’m a huge fan of the John Carpenter movie, and this really seemed to capture the feel and look of the original to a T. While I’m not the biggest Mary Elizabeth Winstead supporter, she also does a pretty decent job here.

While there is one spot where my suspension of disbelief was stretched to the breaking point, this was still a quality flick that fits wonderfully into the continuity of the original.

4 out of 5

The Last Circus

A Spanish film from the awesome Magnet Releasing (Check out the trailer for Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil), this movie was not at all what I was expecting. I thought this would be a madcap kind of romp about a crazy, house of horror style circus side show, but it’s actually a really intense thriller involving a bizarre love triangle. Also, the opening sequence with a machete wielding clown in a dress is one of the creepiest things I’ve ever seen in my life.

4 out of 5

Machete Maidens Unleashed!

That's a killer poster right there.

This documentary about the Filipino film industry of the 70s was thoroughly fascinating. I love the schlocky horror fests, women in cages, and jungle adventures that came out of this era, and seeing the film makers discuss their experiences was a real treat. There’s also a butt-ton of clips from the various movies, which is super sweet, and must have been a licensing nightmare for the film makers. This is a super solid documentary with great interviews, and an excellent array of archival footage. Highly recommended.

5 out of 5

That’s it for this week, folks. If I can, I’d like to do a separate post for every movie I see in the future. We’ll see how that works out.